Laron Ronald Williams
Overview
Laron Ronald Williams was an American convicted serial killer whose known crimes were centered in Tennessee between 1977 and 1981. He was first convicted for the murder of Terra L. Wedlaw in Nashville, then later became the subject of a statewide manhunt after escaping from the Memphis Correctional Center in April 1981. During that escape period, he killed Memphis Police Lieutenant Clarence P. Cox and Reverend John Jay Jackson, an assistant pastor at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Jackson, Tennessee.
Williams' criminal history stands out because his known murders occurred in separate circumstances: one involved the killing of a young woman in Nashville, while the later two occurred after he had already been imprisoned and escaped custody. Authorities also looked at him in connection with other similar strangulation deaths, but his confirmed murder convictions were tied to three victims: Terra L. Wedlaw, Lieutenant Clarence P. Cox, and Reverend John Jay Jackson.
Confirmed Victims
- Terra L. Wedlaw - October 18, 1977 - Nashville, Tennessee. Wedlaw was 19 years old and had reportedly come to Nashville from Tampa, Florida. Williams was convicted of murdering her after an encounter at the Capitol Park Inn. Her death was attributed to strangulation. Williams later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Davidson County and received a 10-year prison sentence on January 4, 1979.
- Lieutenant Clarence P. Cox Jr. - May 12, 1981 - Memphis, Tennessee. Cox was a 53-year-old Memphis Police Department lieutenant. He encountered Williams while Williams was an escaped prisoner. During the attempted arrest, Williams gained control of Cox's service weapon and fatally shot him. Williams was later convicted of first-degree murder in Shelby County for Cox's death.
- Reverend John Jay Jackson - May 14, 1981 - Jackson, Tennessee. Jackson was a 35-year-old Catholic priest and assistant pastor at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. He was killed inside the church rectory during a burglary. Evidence presented at trial showed that he died from a gunshot wound, with signs of a struggle inside the rectory. Williams was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary in connection with Jackson's death.
The Murder of Terra L. Wedlaw
Williams' first confirmed murder case began in Nashville in 1977. Terra L. Wedlaw was 19 years old and had recently arrived in the city from Florida. Williams encountered Wedlaw and took her to the Capitol Park Inn. After the encounter, he strangled her and fled. Investigators later connected him to the killing, and reports indicate that Wedlaw's birth certificate was found in his possession after his arrest.
The Wedlaw case drew attention because police were also looking into similar deaths of women in the Nashville area. Two women, Mary Jo Corn, also known as Larisa Ann Marsay, and Bessie Wallace, were reportedly found strangled and bound in separate cases. Williams was investigated as a suspect in those killings because of similarities to Wedlaw's murder, but the only confirmed conviction from that period was for Wedlaw's death.
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